Coup in Portugal - President bans left party from power

I originally posted this article

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11949701/AEP-Eurozone-crosses-Rubicon-as-Portugals-anti-euro-Left-banned-from-power.html

But it seems the Telegraph overstated the case. See here

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/28/british-eurosceptics-austerity-coup-portugal-elections-eu-brexit

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 1

Studentus-anonymous

Ooooooo this should be interesting!

Though I suspect this will end up in the courts rather than on the streets.

Reply 2

SignFromDog

Original post by Studentus-anonymous

Ooooooo this should be interesting!

Though I suspect this will end up in the courts rather than on the streets.

My initial assessment was wrong. The President in Portugal is directly elected so he does have some wiggle room, and the party he commissioned to govern is actually the largest party in parliament (though the left parties have a majority).

The left can now call a vote of no confidence in his government, and the President can try again to form a government. It's all within the scope of the Portuguese constitution

Reply 3

Studentus-anonymous

Original post by SignFromDog

Indeed, apparently the left parties can't agree so yeah, not such big news as originally suspected.

Reply 4

Incongruous

President puts party with the most seats in Parliament in government. What a surprise... What's the problem with this?

More left-wing spin on a perfectly simple issue.

Reply 5

anarchism101

Original post by Incongruous

President puts party with the most seats in Parliament in government. What a surprise... What's the problem with this?

Puts them in power knowing that they don't have a majority and have already been turned down by their only viable potential coalition partners. Meanwhile an alternative coalition, with a majority, has already been largely agreed by its parties.

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Reply 6

United1892

Original post by Incongruous

President puts party with the most seats in Parliament in government. What a surprise... What's the problem with this?

More left-wing spin on a perfectly simple issue.

Because the Telegraph is such a left wing paper :rolleyes:

Reply 7

justinetsr

That's not a coup. That's politics. If he wanted, he could ask half of "the left" to work with half of "the right" under a prime minister of the pirate party, as long as they agreed.

Reply 8

Arbolus

Original post by Incongruous

President puts party with the most seats in Parliament in government. What a surprise... What's the problem with this?

More left-wing spin on a perfectly simple issue.

In countries with more proportional voting systems the government is usually formed by the largest coalition, rather than the largest party. If the leftist parties in Portugal are able to form a coalition then they would have a better mandate to govern than the incumbents do.

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(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 9

justinetsr

Original post by Arbolus

Who the hell do you think got the president to power? The president has a right to draw lines wherever he wants, just like our Monarch does.

Reply 10

anarchism101

Original post by justinetsr

Who the hell do you think got the president to power? The president has a right to draw lines wherever he wants, just like our Monarch does.

Sorry, what?

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Reply 11

That Bearded Man

So we see a VONC, the President resigns presumably (refusal to appoint a Eurosceptic party) and then we see a new look Portugal

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